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0. G. MELLSTROM.

BREBGH MECHANISM FOR-ORDNANGE.

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G. G. MELLSTROM.

BREEGH MECHANISM FOR QRDNANGB.

N0. 545,902. Patented Sept. 10,1895.

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, C. G. MELLSTROM. BBBBBBBBBBBBB SM'FOR ORDNANGE.

No. 545,902. Patnted Sept. 10,1 95.

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- 0. G. MELLSTROM.

BREBOH MECHANISM FOR ORDNANGE.

No. 545,9 2. Patented Sept. 10, 1895.

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C. G. MELLSTROM. BRBEGH MECHANISM FOR ORDNANGE.

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7 Sheets-Sheet 6. G. G. MELLSTROM. BREBGH MEGHANISM FOR ORDNANOE.

No. 545,902. Patented Sept. 10,1895.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-8heet 7.

O. G. MELLSTROM. BREEGH MECHANISM FOR ORDNANGE.

No. 545,902: Petented Sept. 10, 1895.

STROM, civil engineer, a

PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES-GUSTAV MELLSTROM, or LONDON,

ENGLAND.

BREEC-H MECHANISM FOR ORDNIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,902, dated September 10, 1895.

Application tiled December 12, 1898 Serial Ho. 498.458- (Nmnodel) .To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES GUSTAV Mam.-

subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, residing at Victoria Mansions, 32 Victoria Street, London, England, have invented certain new and useful- Improvements in and Relating to Quick-Firing and other Breech-Loading Ordnance, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawmgs.

This invention relates chiefly to quick-firing guns, but parts of it are. applicable to other breech-loading guns for increasing the strength and durability of the breech and for facilitating the action of the breech mechan-,

ism.

The main object of the said invention is to construct a quick-fi ring gun, ,of that class wherein a screw breech-block is employed, in such a manner that the breech requires no lateral aperture for the insertion and withdrawal of the'breech-block, which is carried on a vertical hinge or pivot at the 'side of the breech, and can be inserted into and withdrawn from the gun about its hinge or pivot.

The said invention consists partly in adapt ing the breech for the reception of a? novel form of breech -block and in the peculiar construction of the said block and method of.

actuating the'same. The said breech-block has projecting screw-threaded portions fitted to engage with similarly screw-threaded segmental portions in the gun, ing the said block about its axis in the gun the screw-threaded portions of the block will engage with or be disengaged from those in the gun in the usual manner. i The said block is supported in ,a carrier and thereby hinged or pivoted at the side of the breech end of I attach the block to the carrier by its head or outer end in such a manner that the block is supported and held firmly by the carrier as it is moved into and out of thegnn. Heretofore segmental screw breech blocks have been usually made cylindrical or parallel sided along their screw-threaded portions. They have also, though not commonly, been'made conical, so that the small and of the block projects inward and closes the breech; but according to the present invenby a simple movement 'B is inserted and "withdrawn by mo not have tosl so that by turn-- ,gitudinai section, as shown in fiend-employ 'a breech-block, whichis reversely tapered or coned-i. e., it is tapered along its screw-threaded portions in such a manner that its largest diameter is at its inner end. It is constructed and operated as hereinafter described.

The accompanying drawings show the breech-of a gun provided with the present improvements. I

Figure 1 is an elevation'of one side of the breech. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the other side of the said breech. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal central section through the breech and breech-block, showing the breech closed. Fig. '4 is a rear view of ism,the operating-lever being removed. 5 is a section on the line w'w, the breech open. details of the mechanism, scale.

Like letters and figures indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

A is the breech portion-of the gun. A is the screw-threaded chamber therein. B the breech-block. G is the carrier. D is the lever for operating the breech-block. C. is the hinge'or pivot of the carrier. E is the extractor. As above stated, the breech-block Fig. ig. 3, showing drawn to a larger ving it about the hinge at C'-that is to say, it does ide endwise through the carrier. Nevertheless I do not have to curtail its length.

It may be of the ordinary length of a screw breech-block, but as thcbreech has no lateral opening throughout-its entire circumferencethe chamber A and the block B so formed that the block can move freely through the chamber in the arc of a circle about the axis of the hinge C in opening and closing the breech, and yet when home and locked in the chamber it must securely and tightly close the breech. or this purpose the said chamber has its sides shaped in lon- Figs. 4 and 5-.- thatis to say, the two sides of the chamber are arcs of circles whose center is the axis of the pivot C and which have such radii as will allow sulficient clearance for the sides of the block B to pass without touching them in entering and leaving the said chamber.

- I prefer that the hinge or pivot 0' of the the safety mechan- The remaining figures show carrier be arranged about midway between the outer and inner ends of the screw-threaded chamber, as shown. It willbe observed that the carrier and the part B of the block that engages therewith are screw-threaded and have the screw-thrcadscontinnous all around the same.

It is obvious thata reversely eoned or taper breech-block which is moved to lock and uulock the same by the action of its peripheral screw-thread on a screw-thread in thebreech of the gun, must not have a screw-thread consisting of a spiral with a continuously and. uniformly increasing diameter from the small to the large end of the cone, for, if so formed, such convolution or turn1 of the screw-thread, in moving forward to close the breech would pass from a part of the spiral groove in the gun in which it has a firm bearing to another part of the said' gun'ot larger diameter and would therefore cease'to be efliciently supported in the breech atthe time when the most eincient support. is required, I therefore form the spiral or screw thread as follows-that is to say, commencing with the smaller end of the cone and taking a line from one to the other end alonr, the exterior of the same, I form the first turn ofthe screw-' thread so that it has the same diameter and a uniform pitch or longitudinal advance entirely around the block. Then continue the spiral from the termination of this turn or convolution of the thread on the said line so as to form the next turn or convolution with a larger diameter, but in the same manner, (i.'e., without increase of diameter)-that is to say, the spiral or screw-thread of the cone consists of a series of turns or convolutions, each of which is concentric with the axis of the cone entirely around the same and merges into a convolution of larger diameter toward the forward end of the cone with a uniform or continuous inclination or pitch from one to the other end of the same. I complete the said cone by planing off or otherwiseremoving portions of the screw-th reads, and then the said reversely-coned breech-block has two or more portions of its periphery consisting of a series of spiral segments of a uniform pitch suitable for. insuring the necessary endwise movement of the block, buteach completeturn having all of its segments of equal radius. Therefore, in turning the breech-block to cause its screw-threads to engage with those in the gun, the threads in the difierent segments of the block will turn and advance in the grooves in the gun so as to force the block into close contact with the breech while maintaining a firm bearing and support therein.

Instead of makingeach single complete turn if the screw-thread of a ditferent diameter mm the preceding turn, I may make the block n steps-that is to say, with two or more com- )lete turns of the thread of one diameter and iext to them two or more turns of a larger liameter, and so on throughout the length of threads in the gun must correspond with which are Vfshaped, as shown, or which are square or otherwise suitably shaped in crosssection.

to lock and unlock it and for moving it with the carrier about its hinge I provide the outer end of thebloek with a circular toothed se ment or series of teeth at B, preferably arranged. below its axis, and I gear with this toothed segment a segmental pinion F on a vertical shaft F, which is supported in suitable bearings C on the hinged carrier 0, and which has attached to or formed with it the operating-lever D of the breech mechanism. The said pinion has only as many teeth as are necessaryto keep in gear with the seg ment B on the block B to turn the latter a suflicient distance about its axis to move the screw-threads thereon into and out of gear with those of the gun. In the turning of the block about its own longitudinal axis it moves endwise through a short distance by reason of the pitch of the screw-threads, and therefore the teeth on the said block approach the axis about which the pinion F turns. To prevent inconvenience from this movement I make the teeth of the pinion eccentric to the shaft F, as shown in Fig. 13, which is a plan of the lever and pinion detached, and in which 1 is the center of the shaft and 2 the center of the segment. Therefore as the block B movesbackward the teeth of the pinbloek moves forward the teeth of the pinion approach the same. If I make the segments of the block and chamber with parallel fillets instead of with screw-threads, this eecentricity of the toothed pinionwill not be necessary. The said lever, moreover, hasa shoulder at D, arranged to actas a stop to the rotation of the pinion when the samehas been turned through about a quarter ofa revolution by means of the operating-lever D, as shown in Fig. 5. This stop then comes in contact with the back surface of the carrier 0, and can move no farther relatively'to the carrier. Therefore from this position the continued movement of the leverD tends to turn the carrier C aboutits axis 0' in the proper direction to withdraw the breech-block from the gun and move the same clear away from the breech-aperture. Thus it will be seen that in a gun provided with my improvements the breech-Block in opening the breech has only two movements-via, rotation on its own axis and a circular movement about the vertical hinge or pivot, which movements are etfeeted by one continuous movement'of the operating-leverin one direction, the closing of the breech being directed by similar move- .ments of the reverse order and direction.

The breech-block 13 carries a firing-pin G, which is shown detached in side and end elevation in .Figs. 15 and 16. This pin extends he cone. It will be obvious that the screwthrougha central hole in the block. I prefer those of the block. I mayuse screwthreads ion recede therefrom, and vice versa when the- For turning the breech-block about its axis its rear and forward ends.

. curved portion of the said pin I place a spiral to use a tiring-pin which is semiannular or trough-shaped in transverse section, except at In the trough or block B about its axis in unlocking or releasing the-block from the gun. For this purpose- I provide the said block with a helical or cam surface B (m0st clearly shown in Fig. 6,) which is a sectiop of the block 13 detached. Said surface engages with a, lug or projection G Figs. and 16, on the rear end of the tir ing-pin G. The said firing-pin is so controlled thatit is kept from rotating with the blockduring the cocking action, and the helical surface of .the block-is so arranged that as the block rotates its action on the lug G of the firing-pin forces the same backward into engagement with the trigger mechanism. For guiding and preventing the rotation of the firing-pin in the block I insert into thehead of, the latter a piece H, formed to cover the aperture through which the said pin' is inserted into the block. This piece His passed over and held in place by the pivot pin or bolt F of the'operating-lever, and when the said bolt-is removed can be taken out of the block to afford access to'the firingpin or permit the insertion or removal of the same. Said piece II forms the rear bearing for the spring G".

The firing-pin has at its rear end a hook G projecting through the carrier and through a slot 11' in the said piece H, and the firingpin'is thereby prevented from turning about its axis while being cocked. By means of. the said hook thefiring-pin can be cocked in case of a niissfire without moving the breechblock.

The extractor E is a lever pivoted near the carrier-hinge at E, and has an arm or pair of arms E of the ordinary kindiextending into the proper position to engage with the rim of a cartridge in the gun, as shown. The tail end' E of the extractor is arranged foabe struck by a shoulder G on the carrier, asthe latter is turned upon breech.

The trigger mechanism comprises various.

parts, which are shown detached in Figsf17,

18,10, and 20. A retaining catch or searI is formed or fixed on an arm l'fthe stem 1, of

which is pivoted to the carrier at 1 Fig. 10, in tne proper position to engage with a projection or shoulder G of the firing-pin G, when the same has been drawn back by the action of the helical or cam-surface 13 015 the breechblock. The outer end of the saidpivoted arm I is bent or cran'ked, as shown at 1 so that it projects into, a position'wherein it will be actuated by an arm K, fixed on the end of a pin or bolt K, which projects through its hinge .C' to open the the side of the breeclrchamber, and-the outer end of which is provided with a trigger K A spring I is arranged in combination with the pivoted arm I to act thereon to p rose the catch or sear I into engagement with the firing-pin. y

In combination with the trigger mechanism I may soinetimes employ a safety device, consisting of a small s pringcontrolled lever B, Fig. 21, pivoted at R and provided at one end withaprojection R that, until the parts are ready for firing, passes through the car- 'rie'r into a' hole or recess I in the aforesaid pivoted arm I and holds the sear so that it cannotrclea'se the firing-pin; but when the operating lever is properly home it compresses the spring R ot the said lever R and raises the boltrout of the hole'or recess I in the pivotedarni I, so that thelatter can be actuated by the trigger torelcase the firingpin and fire the gun. i-

In breech' mechanism, wherein a screw breech-block is supported witha capability.

of rotation about its axis in a carrier which withdraws the block from the gun, the said block while moving in and out of the gun has its screw-threads totallyidisconnected from those of the gun. Therefore itis necessary to provide means for holding the-block iminovabiy in the carrier while it is out of the breech-chamber; so that when the block has been pushed home again in the said chamber, its screw threads will be in exactly the same position relatively to thosein the chain-- her as they were when the said block had been turned on its axis to unlock it, but before the carrier had commenced to turn about its hinge. For this purposelemploy as'pring pin or catch L, Figs. 3 and 5. (Shown detached in, end view apd longitudinal section in Figs. 22 and'23.) This catch is so arranged in the carrier-'0 that when the breech-block I has been turned on its axis to unlock it from the gun arecess 13 (see Figs. 8 and 9-) in 'the said block comes opposite the said springcatch, so that the'latter engages therewith and holds the block .13 so that it' can not be displaced by turningabout its axis while moving with the carrier 0 about the hinge or pivot C v of the latter. 3 I prefer to place over the aperture in which the said springcatch is placed a cover-plate screwed into the carrier. The spring-catch L has a hollow or tubular stern L from which projects a toe L Inside the hol low stem-I place the spiral spring which abuts against the said cover-plate, so as to press the catch into engagement with the recess in the block. Until the block B has been turned so that its screw-threads are released from those in thegun the toe L lies in a groove in the carrier; but when the block is ready tomove out of thebreech the toe is opposite the recess '13 in the screw-thread in the block. and by the action of the spring is pushed in the snidreround on its hinge, and the block is thereby kept from turning about its axis. In closing ISO 'cess as soon as the carrier commences to swing the breech when the carrier comes in contact with the end of the gun the projecting catch L, Fig. 5, is forced back and thereby its toe is disengaged from the said recess in the block and'pushed back into the groovein the carrier. .The block is then free to turn, in the carrier.

' To avoid accidents from hang-fire I provide the gun with a device which will prevent the premature opening of the breech if the cartridge in the gun does not explode when the trigger is pulled. For this purpose I prefer to employ a safety appliance whichconsists essentially of a pendulum arranged in combination with thebrcech mechanism to prevent the movement thereof until the gun has completed its recoil. after a discharge-that is r to say, if the charge has been fired the .said

pendulum under the influence of the energy ofthe recoil in-which it has participated continues to move in the direction of the recoil after thcrecoil action has ceased and will release the lover of the breech mechanism, so

,that the breech can be opened; but if the I suspend the pendulum M by its arm on a on the operating-lever'D in such a positionpinor stud M, fixed'in any convenient position to the gun or suitable moving partof the mounting. I provide the-said pendulum with a hook-shaped arm M A latch D is fixed that the hook-shaped arm M "on the pendu- .lu'm will engage with the said latch and remain in engagement therewith before and until the gun is fired, the said arm M being pressed into engagement with the latch by a suitable spring M iVhen the gun is fired, the said pendulum, moving with the gun in its recoil, acquires snflicient momentum to act very eflici'ently, as above described, to release'the operating-lever, so that. the breech can be opened; but if the charge hangs fire, and consequently there is no 'recoihthe pendulum remains inoperative and the said lever is not released. In combination with this device I arrange an elastic ,plate N, having a stud or projection N, which is arranged to engage with a recess M in the hooked arm of the pendulum and'hold the same after recoil out of engagement with the latch D until the lever D has been pulled back to open the breech. On the side of the elastic plate N is an incline N arranged in onmbination with a similar iucline cl on the latch of the lever D,'so that in turning the said lever about its pivot; F' to openthe breech the said inclines will act to push the projection N' of the plate out of engagement with the pendu- 1pm to allow the latter to resume its normal position. I prefer that this mechanism should he inclosed by a casing O at the side of the gun, as shown in Fig. at. This improvedpendulum device maybe employed with either a recoil or non-recoil mounting. The. effect of a pendulum acting with the energy which it has acquired in the recoil movement of the gun,even though such movement should be very slight, asin the case of a. non-recoil mounting, will always be suilicient to release the lever, and in this respect'my'improved device is advantageously distinguishable from thosein which. a pendulum is arranged to act by its inertia at the commencement of the device.- I therefore provide an additional retaining device, as follows-that is to' say, I

form a recess d Figs. 13 and 14:,in the said lever and place therein a spring-latch P,"

formed with an arm P,'which projects through thesaid level-and lies at; the side of the bandle D. The nose P of the latch is arranged ing the handle to open the breech the hand also grasps the arm 3, which is thereby pressed inward and releases the latch and the 'toenter a socket or recess P in the carrier and thereby hold the lever D so that it can-- not move away from the same; but in grasp-- lever D will then be free to move outward, as

required.

- \Vhat I claim is- 1. The combination with the breech end of a gun,'ot a taper, screw threaded or filleted breech-block having its smaller end at the rear, substantially as desciribed. v

2. The taper, screw threadedor tilleted breech-block having its forward end larger than its rear end and each convolution of screw thread of uniform radius but-of ,;,g'jr.e:atl.'er

breech-block. having its forward end larger than its rear end and each convolution of screw thread of uniform radius but ofgreater-diameter than the adjoining convolution nearer the outer end of the block, portions of the block being removed at the sides, in combination with a breech similarly shapedand screwthan its rear end and each convolution of screw thread of uniform radius but of greater diameter than the adjoining convolution nearer the outer end of the block, portions of the block I threaded but curved laterally x operating lever in one direction, substantially as described.

5. The taper, screw threaded or filleted breech-block having its forward end larger than its rear end and each convolution of screw thread of uniform radius but of greater diameter than the adjoining, convolution nearer the outer end of the block, portions of the block being removed at the sides in combination with a breech similarly shaped and screw-threaded, but curved laterally to admit of the withd rawal of the'block when unlocked,

. to the side and a carrier connected with the block by a continuous screw-threaded .part and hinged of the breech about midway between the two ends of the block, the inclined surface B formed with the inclined surface G3 for cocking the said pin when the breech-block is turned about its axis. substantially as described. V

6. The taper, screw-threaded or filleted breech-block having its forward end larger than its rear end and each convolution of screw thread of uniform radius but of greater diameter than the adjoining convolution nearer the outer'end of block being removed at the sides, in combination with a breech screw-threaded but curved laterally to admit formed on the breech-block,

on the block and the firing pinthe block, portions of the similarly shaped and of the withdrawal of the block when unlocked, and a carrier connected with the block y hinged to the side of the breech about midway between the two ends of the block, the catch or sear I, releasing trigger K, and spring controlled retaining lever B which latter is turned out of engagement with the sear by the operating lever D when the breech. is closed, substantially as described.

7. The combination with the breech end of a gun, of the taper, screw-threaded or filleted breech block having its smaller end at the a continuous screw-thread ed part and rear, the operating lever thereof, and means whereby the lever is locked until the termination of the recoil and is then automatically unlocked, substantially as described.

8. The combinatipn with the breech end of a gun, of the taper, screw-threaded or filleted breech-block having its smaller end at the rear, the operating lever thereof, a hooked finger D on the operating lever, a weighted lever lll engaging said finger D until the termination of the recoil and then acting by its momentum to liberate the finger D substantially as described.

9 The combination with the breech end of a gunfof the taper, screw-threaded or filleted breech-block having its smaller rear, the operating lever thereof, a hooked finger D on the operating lever, a weighted lever M engaging said finger D? until the termination of the recdihand then acting by its momentum to liberate tl e'fi nger D and a spring catch N to maintain said lever Ill in its raised position when the latter has moved to liberate the finger D substantially as described.

- In testimony whereof vI have hereunto set my hand, this 29th day of November, 15. 93.

, CHARLES GUSTAV lll'llliltS'llltlll. Witnesses:

GEO. HARRISON,

WM. JNo. TENNANT.

end at the 

